1443-501 Spring 2002
Lecture #23
Dr. Jaehoon Yu
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Superposition and Interference
Speed of Waves on Strings
Reflection and Transmission
Sinusoidal Waves
Rate of Energy Transfer by Sinusoidal Waves
Today’s Homework Assignments is #12.
Final Exam at 5:30pm, Monday, May 6 (covers Ch 1- 16).
Review on Wednesday, May 1.
Superposition and Interference
If two or more traveling waves are moving through a
medium, the resultant wave function at any point is the
algebraic sum of the wave functions of the individual waves.
Superposition
Principle
The waves that follow this principle are called linear waves which in general have
small amplitudes. The ones that don’t are nonlinear waves with larger amplitudes.
n
Thus, one can write the
y  y1  y2      yn   yi
resultant wave function as
i 1
Two traveling linear waves can pass through each other without being destroyed or altered.
What do you think will happen to the water
waves when you throw two stones on the pond?
They will pass right through each other.
The shape of wave will
change Interference
Constructive interference: The amplitude increases when the waves meet
What happens to the waves at the point where they meet?
Destructive interference: The amplitude decreases when the waves meet
Apr. 29, 2002
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
2
Speed of Waves on Strings
How do we determine the speed of a transverse pulse traveling on a string?
If a string under tension is pulled sideways and released, the tension is responsible for
accelerating a particular segment of the string back to the equilibrium position.
The acceleration of the
particular segment increases
The speed of the wave increases.
So what happens when the tension increases?
Which means?
Now what happens when the mass per unit length of the string increases?
For the given tension, acceleration decreases, so the wave speed decreases.
Newton’s second law of motion
Which law does this hypothesis based on?
Based on the hypothesis we have laid out
above, we can construct a hypothetical
formula for the speed of wave
v
Is the above expression dimensionally sound?
Apr. 29, 2002
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
T

T: Tension on the string
: Unit mass per length
T=[MLT-2], =[ML-1]
(T/)1/2=[L2T-2]1/2=[LT-1]
3
Speed of Waves on Strings cont’d
v
q
T
Ds
Fr
q q
q
T
R
O
Let’s consider a pulse moving to right and look at it
in the frame that moves along with the the pulse.
Since in the reference frame moves with the pulse,
the segment is moving to the left with the speed v,
and the centripetal acceleration of the segment is
F
F
Now what do the force components
look in this motion when q is small?
 T cos q  T cos q  0
r
 2T sin q  q
v2
v2
 Fr  ma  m R  2Rq R  2Tq
Therefore the speed of the pulse is
Apr. 29, 2002
t
m  Ds  R 2q  2 Rq
What is the mass of the segment when
the line density of the string is ?
Using the radial
force component
v2
ar 
R
v
T

1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
4
Example 16.2
A uniform cord has a mass of 0.300kg and a length of 6.00m. The cord passes over a
pulley and supports a 2.00kg object. Find the speed of a pulse traveling along this cord.
5.00m
1.00m
Since the speed of wave on a string with line
density  and under the tension T is
The line density  is  
M=2.00kg
The tension on the string is
provided by the weight of the
object. Therefore
v
T

0.300kg
 5.00 10  2 kg / m
6.00m
T  Mg  2.00  9.80  19.6kg  m / s
Thus the speed of the wave is
v
Apr. 29, 2002
T


19.6
 19.8m / s
2
5.00  10
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
5
2
Reflection and Transmission
A pulse or a wave undergoes various changes when the medium
it travels changes.
Depending on how rigid the support is, two radically different reflection
patterns can be observed.
1.
2.
The support is rigidly fixed: The reflected pulse will be inverted to the
original due to the force exerted on to the string by the support in reaction
to the force on the support due to the pulse on the string.
The support is freely moving: The reflected pulse will maintain the original
shape but moving in the reverse direction.
If the boundary is intermediate between the above two extremes, part of the
pulse reflects, and the other undergoes transmission, passing through the
boundary and propagating in the new medium.
When a wave pulse travels from medium A to B:
• vA> vB (or A<B), the pulse is inverted upon reflection.
• vA< vB(or A>B), the pulse is not inverted upon reflection.
Apr. 29, 2002
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
6
Sinusoidal Waves
Equation of motion of a simple harmonic oscillation is a sine function.
But it does not travel. Now how does wave form look like when the wave travels?
The function describing the position of
particles, located at x, of the medium
y
through which the sinusoidal wave is
traveling can be written at t=0
The wave form of the wave traveling at the
speed v in +x at any given time t becomes
By definition, the speed of
wave in terms of wave length
and period T is
v

T
 2 
 A sin 
x
  
Amplitude
Wave Length
 2
 x  vt 
y  A sin 
 

Thus the wave
form can be
rewritten
  x t 
y  A sin 2   
   T 
Defining, angular
2
2 The wave form y  A sin kx  wt 
;w 
wave number k and k 
becomes

T
angular frequency w,
General

w
y  A sin kx  wt   
Wave
1
Frequency, f, f 
v 
wave form
speed,
v
T
k
T
1443-501 Spring 2002
Apr. 29, 2002
7
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
Example 16.3
A sinusoidal wave traveling in the positive x direction has an amplitude of 15.0cm, a wavelength
of 40.0cm, and a frequency of 8.00Hz. The vertical displacement of the medium at t=0 and x=0
is also 15.0cm. a) Find the angular wave number k, period T, angular frequency w, and speed v
of the wave.
Using the definition, angular wave number k is
Period is
T
2
k

1
1

 0.125 sec Angular
f 8.00
frequency is

w
2
 5.00  15.7 rad / m
0.40
2
 2f  50.3rad / s
T
Using period and wave length, the wave speed is v    f  0.400  8.00  3.2m / s
T
b) Determine the phase constant , and write a general expression of the wave function.
At x=0 and t=0, y=15.0cm, therefore
the phase  becomes
Thus the general
wave function is
Apr. 29, 2002
y  0.150 sin    0.150
sin   1;  




y  A sin kx  wt     0.150 sin 15.7 x  50.3t  


1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
8
Sinusoidal Waves on Strings
Let’s consider the case where a string is attached to an arm undergoing a simple
harmonic oscillation. The trains of waves generated by the motion will travel through the
string, causing the particles in the string to undergo simple harmonic motion on y-axis.
If the wave at t=0 is
 2 
y  A sin 
x



The wave function can be written
What does this mean?
 0
y  A sin kx  wt 
This wave function describes the vertical motion of any point on the string at any time t.
Therefore, we can use this function to obtain transverse speed, vy, and acceleration, ay.
dy
vy 
dt
xconst
y

 wA coskx  wt 
t
ay 
dv y
dt

xconst
v y
t
 w 2 A sin kx  wt 
These are the speed and acceleration of the particle in the medium not of the wave.
The maximum speed and the
acceleration of the particle in the
medium at position x at time t are
Apr. 29, 2002
v y ,max  wA
a y ,max  w 2 A
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
How do these look for
simple harmonic motion?
9
Example 16.4
A string is driven at a frequency of 5.00Hz. The amplitude of the motion is 12.0cm,
and the wave speed is 20.0m/s. Determine the angular frequency w and angular
wave number k for this wave, and write and expression for the wave function.
Using frequency, the angular frequency is
w
2
 2f  2  5.00  31.4rad / s

Angular wave number k is
k
2


2 2f w 31.4

 
 1.57 rad / m
vT
v
v 20.0
Thus the general expression of the wave function is
y  A sin kx  wt   0.120 sin 1.57 x  31.4t 
Apr. 29, 2002
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
10
Rate of Energy Transfer by Sinusoidal Waves on Strings
Waves traveling through medium carries energy.
When an external source performs work on the string, the energy enters into the
string and propagates through the medium as wave.
What is the potential energy of one wave length of a traveling wave?
Dx, Dm Elastic potential energy of a particle in a simple harmonic motion U  1 ky2
2
1
1
Since w2=k/m U  1 mw  y 2 The energy DU of the segment Dm is DU  Dmw  y 2  Dxw  y 2
2
2
2
As Dx0, the energy DU becomes
dU 
1
w  y 2 dx
2
Using the wave function,the energy is dU 
1
1
w  A2 sin 2 kx  wt dx
2
x 
1
x 
For the wave at t=0, the potential U   w  A2  sin 2 kxdx  w  A2 
x 0
x 0
2
2
energy in one wave length, , is
x 

Recall k=/
Apr. 29, 2002
1  cos 2kx
dx
2
1
1
4x 
1
1
 2
w  A2  x  sin

w
A

2
2
4
k

4

 x 0
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
11
Rate of Energy Transfer by Sinusoidal Waves cont’d
How does the kinetic energy of each segment of the string in the wave look?
Since the vertical speed of the particle is
The kinetic energy, DK, of
the segment Dm is
DK 
1
1
Dmvy2  Dxw 2 A2 cos 2 kx  wt 
2
2
As Dx0, the energy DK becomes dK 
For the wave at t=0, the kinetic
energy in one wave length, , is
Recall k=/
v y  wA coskx  wt 
1
w  A2 cos 2 kx  wt dx
2
x 
x   1  cos 2kx
1
1
 2
2
 2
K   w A  cos kxdx  w A 
dx
x 0
x 0
2
2
2
x 
1
1
4x 
1
1
 2
 w  A2  x  sin

w
A

2
2
4
k

4

 x 0
Just like harmonic oscillation, the total
mechanical energy in one wave length, , is
E  U   K  
1
w  A2 
2
E
1

As the wave moves along the string, the
P    w  A2
amount of energy passes by a given point
Dt 2
T
changes during one period. So the power, the
1
 2

w
Av
rate ofApr.
energy
transfer becomes
1443-501 Spring
29, 2002
2 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
P of any sinusoidal wave is
proportion to the square of
angular frequency, the square
of amplitude, density of
12
medium, and wave speed.
Example 16.5
A taut string for which =5.00x10-2 kg/m is under a tension of 80.0N. How
much power must be supplied to the string to generate sinusoidal waves at a
frequency of 60.0Hz and an amplitude of 6.00cm?
The speed of the wave is
v
T


80.0
 40.0m / s
2
5.00  10
Using the frequency, angular frequency w is
2
w
 2f  2  60.0  377 rad / s

Since the rate of energy transfer is
E 1
P
 w  A2 v
Dt 2
1
2
2
  5.00 10  2  377   0.06  40.0   512W
2
Apr. 29, 2002
1443-501 Spring 2002
Dr. J. Yu, Lecture #23
13